Faith (Luke 18:31-43)
Faith
Luke 18:31-43
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. 35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
The Gospels of Mark and Luke record Jesus' prediction of his suffering, but they diverge starting with the third prediction. Mark arranges disputes over status among the disciples after Jesus' final prediction of his suffering, while Luke replaces this with the healing of the blind man Bartimaeus. Luke challenges us with a paradoxical faith, asking us to entrust ourselves to Jesus, who predicts his death, just as Bartimaeus did, pleading for mercy. Bartimaeus heard the words 'your faith has healed you' from Jesus, who appeared to be a failure. Bartimaeus received recognition that his trust was well-placed.
Jesus spoke of his suffering, death, and resurrection three times as he approached the end of his public life and went up to Jerusalem. Luke 18 contains the third of these predictions. Comparing the passion predictions in Mark and Luke reveals an interesting distinction. The first two predictions are similar in both Gospels, but the third is different. Not so much in content, but in the events that follow the prediction of suffering.
In Mark 8, Peter rebukes Jesus when he first predicts his suffering, and Peter is in turn rebuked by Jesus. In Mark 9, after Jesus' second prediction of suffering and death, the disciples argue about who is the greatest. Up to this point, Mark and Luke are similar.
From the third prediction, Mark and Luke diverge. In Mark 10, after Jesus predicts his suffering, James and John promptly ask to sit at his right and left in glory. In Matthew's Gospel, it is their mother who makes this request on their behalf. Following this request, Mark recounts the healing of a blind man in Jericho. However, Luke 18 follows Jesus' third prediction of suffering not with the request of James and John, but immediately with the story of the blind man in Jericho. This is a notable difference. If Mark was written earlier and Luke used it as a reference, why did Luke skip the request of James and John and go straight to the story of the blind man? There must be a reason why Luke moves from the disciples' request for status to the healing of the blind man.
We can discern the intent of Luke's author through the cry of the blind man Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he shouted loudly, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (38b) The followers of Jesus scolded him for being a nuisance. Bartimaeus cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The author of Luke urges Theophilus, the reader of his letter, not to live blindly like the disciples of that time. When Jesus speaks of his suffering, do not be blinded by requests for status, but throw yourself upon him, crying out for mercy like Bartimaeus. Though they had eyes, they could not see what they needed to see, and though they heard Jesus' words, they did not understand them. This is the author of Luke's heartfelt plea for repentance to Theophilus and to us.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus' cry, he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus eagerly replied, “Lord, I want to see” (41b). Bartimaeus had been able to see at one time, but when he met Jesus, he was blind. He asked Jesus to restore his sight. The author of Luke focuses on this request. Even though the disciples had heard Jesus' predictions of his suffering, they did not understand what he was saying or envision what he was depicting. In short, they were in a state where they could see but not perceive, and hear but not understand. The author of Luke encourages us to ask Jesus to open our eyes, just like Bartimaeus.
The disciples' state of having lost their spiritual sight and hearing can also be described as a state of lacking faith. We must take seriously the words Jesus said to Bartimaeus, who pleaded to see again: “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you” (42). The struggle of Bartimaeus to escape the state of lost sight and hearing is defined by Jesus as faith. True faith is when Jesus' words soak into our hearts like a sponge absorbing water. Luke tells us that the disciples, upon hearing Jesus' predictions of his suffering and death, were not in such a state (34). Therefore, Bartimaeus' cry is a poignant confession of repentance from the author of Luke.
If we read the text more carefully, we see that 'faith' is not simple. Verses 31 to 34 are Jesus' prediction of his suffering, and verses 35 to 43 are the event of the blind man Bartimaeus regaining his sight. The highlight of the prediction of suffering comes in verse 32 and following:
“He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him.”
Jesus predicts that he will suffer tremendous humiliation and a miserable death. Paradoxically, Luke puts forward the blind man Bartimaeus and tells us to cry out to the Messiah, who is facing death, to have mercy on us. This is the paradox that Luke presents to us. It is about entrusting ourselves to Jesus, who seems like a loser destined for the cross, and seeing hope in him. Luke strongly states that this is true faith.
We are compelled to hear Jesus' words to Bartimaeus as both an immense burden and a call to decision. Luke urges us to make a radical and subversive commitment to entrust our lives to Jesus, who predicts his crucifixion. Just as the blind man Bartimaeus loudly cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Eventually, Bartimaeus clearly hears Jesus' words and sees his restored present: ‘Bartimaeus, your faith has healed you.’
Our forebears in faith confessed this as 'faith.' They considered it true courage. It is faith and true courage to decide to cry out paradoxically for mercy to the one who predicts his death. Bartimaeus, who did not despair or sit down but courageously cried out for Jesus' mercy, regained his lost sight and heard the words, 'your faith has healed you.' Bartimaeus received validation from Jesus that he was right.
Luke 18:31-43
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. 35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
The Gospels of Mark and Luke record Jesus' prediction of his suffering, but they diverge starting with the third prediction. Mark arranges disputes over status among the disciples after Jesus' final prediction of his suffering, while Luke replaces this with the healing of the blind man Bartimaeus. Luke challenges us with a paradoxical faith, asking us to entrust ourselves to Jesus, who predicts his death, just as Bartimaeus did, pleading for mercy. Bartimaeus heard the words 'your faith has healed you' from Jesus, who appeared to be a failure. Bartimaeus received recognition that his trust was well-placed.
Differences in the Passion Predictions in Mark and Luke
Jesus spoke of his suffering, death, and resurrection three times as he approached the end of his public life and went up to Jerusalem. Luke 18 contains the third of these predictions. Comparing the passion predictions in Mark and Luke reveals an interesting distinction. The first two predictions are similar in both Gospels, but the third is different. Not so much in content, but in the events that follow the prediction of suffering.
In Mark 8, Peter rebukes Jesus when he first predicts his suffering, and Peter is in turn rebuked by Jesus. In Mark 9, after Jesus' second prediction of suffering and death, the disciples argue about who is the greatest. Up to this point, Mark and Luke are similar.
From the third prediction, Mark and Luke diverge. In Mark 10, after Jesus predicts his suffering, James and John promptly ask to sit at his right and left in glory. In Matthew's Gospel, it is their mother who makes this request on their behalf. Following this request, Mark recounts the healing of a blind man in Jericho. However, Luke 18 follows Jesus' third prediction of suffering not with the request of James and John, but immediately with the story of the blind man in Jericho. This is a notable difference. If Mark was written earlier and Luke used it as a reference, why did Luke skip the request of James and John and go straight to the story of the blind man? There must be a reason why Luke moves from the disciples' request for status to the healing of the blind man.
Luke's Authorial Intent
We can discern the intent of Luke's author through the cry of the blind man Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he shouted loudly, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (38b) The followers of Jesus scolded him for being a nuisance. Bartimaeus cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The author of Luke urges Theophilus, the reader of his letter, not to live blindly like the disciples of that time. When Jesus speaks of his suffering, do not be blinded by requests for status, but throw yourself upon him, crying out for mercy like Bartimaeus. Though they had eyes, they could not see what they needed to see, and though they heard Jesus' words, they did not understand them. This is the author of Luke's heartfelt plea for repentance to Theophilus and to us.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus' cry, he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus eagerly replied, “Lord, I want to see” (41b). Bartimaeus had been able to see at one time, but when he met Jesus, he was blind. He asked Jesus to restore his sight. The author of Luke focuses on this request. Even though the disciples had heard Jesus' predictions of his suffering, they did not understand what he was saying or envision what he was depicting. In short, they were in a state where they could see but not perceive, and hear but not understand. The author of Luke encourages us to ask Jesus to open our eyes, just like Bartimaeus.
The disciples' state of having lost their spiritual sight and hearing can also be described as a state of lacking faith. We must take seriously the words Jesus said to Bartimaeus, who pleaded to see again: “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you” (42). The struggle of Bartimaeus to escape the state of lost sight and hearing is defined by Jesus as faith. True faith is when Jesus' words soak into our hearts like a sponge absorbing water. Luke tells us that the disciples, upon hearing Jesus' predictions of his suffering and death, were not in such a state (34). Therefore, Bartimaeus' cry is a poignant confession of repentance from the author of Luke.
The Paradox of Luke's Author
If we read the text more carefully, we see that 'faith' is not simple. Verses 31 to 34 are Jesus' prediction of his suffering, and verses 35 to 43 are the event of the blind man Bartimaeus regaining his sight. The highlight of the prediction of suffering comes in verse 32 and following:
“He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him.”
Jesus predicts that he will suffer tremendous humiliation and a miserable death. Paradoxically, Luke puts forward the blind man Bartimaeus and tells us to cry out to the Messiah, who is facing death, to have mercy on us. This is the paradox that Luke presents to us. It is about entrusting ourselves to Jesus, who seems like a loser destined for the cross, and seeing hope in him. Luke strongly states that this is true faith.
We are compelled to hear Jesus' words to Bartimaeus as both an immense burden and a call to decision. Luke urges us to make a radical and subversive commitment to entrust our lives to Jesus, who predicts his crucifixion. Just as the blind man Bartimaeus loudly cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Eventually, Bartimaeus clearly hears Jesus' words and sees his restored present: ‘Bartimaeus, your faith has healed you.’
Our forebears in faith confessed this as 'faith.' They considered it true courage. It is faith and true courage to decide to cry out paradoxically for mercy to the one who predicts his death. Bartimaeus, who did not despair or sit down but courageously cried out for Jesus' mercy, regained his lost sight and heard the words, 'your faith has healed you.' Bartimaeus received validation from Jesus that he was right.